


More than Fun

by Nightscrawl



Series: The Meaning of More [4]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: First Time, M/M, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 14:44:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14334723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightscrawl/pseuds/Nightscrawl
Summary: Emotions and bodies are laid bare as pretense is dropped and questions are answered.





	More than Fun

**Author's Note:**

> Another thanks to [Schattenriss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schattenriss/pseuds/Schattenriss) for doing the beta.

Judah Trevelyan examined his quarters; he went to his desk and stood over it, looking for any additions or changes. Earlier in the day, Dorian had suggested he left something there for him, but he didn’t see anything. Hearing the door open and close below, he turned to see Dorian sauntering over to him, an arch expression on his face, lacing his tones as he began to speak.

“So! It’s all very nice, this flirting business. I am, however, not a nice man.”

Hands on his hips, Judah almost scoffed at Dorian’s self-deprecation, but the man was too quick for it and continued on.

“So here is my proposal: we dispense with the chitchat and move on to something more… primal.”

At this remark, Judah began to be amused. Dorian’s earlier suggestion had been a mere ruse to get him up here. Or perhaps he was gifting Judah _himself_ , an even more amusing thought. He crossed his arms as Dorian approached, close, but not touching.

“It’ll set tongues wagging, of course. Not that they aren’t already wagging. I suppose it really depends,” Dorian said, circling behind to stand close enough for Judah to feel his body heat. Still not touching him, he put his mouth a mere inch away from his ear and asked, “How _bad_ does the Inquisitor want to be?”

The question was asked in a sultry manner. Dorian’s breath was warm against his ear and the vibration of his voice seemed to spread into his face and neck. Thinking back to their first kiss and its thrill of surprise, then their subsequent kisses, intimate, sweet, and loaded with suggestion, Judah knew he wanted more and felt that he was finally ready for it, that _they_ were finally ready for it. “I thought you’d never ask,” he said, pivoting toward his friend.

Having been successful, Dorian smiled. “I like playing hard to get.”

Judah almost laughed at the irony, but instead opted for a smile of admission, knowing that his unexplained reticence had been somewhat frustrating, even if Dorian would never have said as much. He supposed the other man understood that he wasn’t being teased for its own sake, and that he _did_ have a reason. “And now?”

“I’m gotten.”

In response, Judah drew Dorian’s hands to his waist then brought up one of his own to run fingers though the other man’s hair as he leaned into a kiss. Dorian tasted wonderful, like brandy and spice. He had kissed him like this before but this was different, deeper with wanting.

Not willing to wait for undressing, Dorian slid a hand underneath Judah’s jacket, was briefly frustrated by a shirt there that he untucked, and went beneath this new obstacle to feel the skin; it was smooth and warm. He soon began to be discontent with the small bit of skin he had access to and attempted to remedy that by bringing his hands between them to start undoing the dozen or so metal clasps that held the jacket closed.

Moving the hand from Dorian’s hair, Judah hooked fingers into the exposed arm of his armor and went up slowly, brushing his nipple with the back of his fingers as he did so.

Dorian made a small, surprised moan into Judah’s mouth as he felt it: a sweet caress that was also surprisingly erotic.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while now,” Judah said, breaking the kiss to smile at Dorian’s reaction to his touch. He had in fact wanted to do it since the first time he’d seen him without his oft-worn robes, the close cut of the undershirt hiding the nipple just out of view. If one were watching, as Judah often was, a darker crescent of skin was revealed when Dorian moved a particular way.

“Have you? And what stopped you?” Dorian asked as he continued with his task; the clasps were numerous and took a bit of time to work through. While his tone was playful, he was curious as to what Judah’s answer might be. Their mutual physical attraction and desire were plain to each other. But while it had been alluded to and hinted at several times, aside from a single occasion it had never been discussed until this very instant.

Despite the tone, the question was a legitimate one. Judah had an answer ready but didn’t want the gravity of the topic to influence the moment, it had been a long time coming and they both wanted it. “Ask me again later, and I’ll tell you. I promise,” was his reply.

Dorian hesitated briefly, glancing away from his own hands and into Judah’s face. His friend gazed at him with warmth and affection, and while there was no rational reason for anxiety, he felt it nonetheless. Judah wanted to discuss it… after. He saw the prudence in the delay, as Judah did, but it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

Annoyed with himself, Dorian tried to push the negative thoughts to the back of his mind as he said, “After,” and then pulled Judah in to resume their kiss as his fingers found the final clasp.

“Mm-hmm,” was Judah’s muffled response. This kiss was firmer, more insistent. He felt a slight change in the man pressed against his mouth but didn’t quite know exactly what it was or what prompted it. Having been influenced by his own desire for so long, he enjoyed feeling the force of Dorian’s as it was acted upon him.

At last, Dorian finished with the clasps and helped Judah to shrug out of the jacket. Now he just had a simple linen shirt to deal with.

Judah began to be irritated that _he_ was partly undressed and Dorian was not, but he had no idea where to begin. He curled his fingers around the prominent leather strap on Dorian’s armor and tugged on it. “You have,” he began, fragmenting the kiss but not removing himself from Dorian’s mouth, “the most,” gave another kiss, “frustrating,” followed by a sharp tug on the strap, “armor,” then finally separated to throw an insincere glare at him, “ever.”

Dorian chuckled in response to Judah’s exacerbation and raised a hand to do it himself.

Snatching the hand away, Judah moved it behind Dorian’s back. “No. Tell me.”

With a smile, Dorian studied Judah’s face and saw he was determined. “Very well,” he replied, then pointed at the hook connecting his belt to the ornament across his chest. Judah undid this and immediately the belt began to sag under its own weight on his hips; this was uncomfortable and he wanted it gone, and teasing Judah would be a bonus. “Belt now. I’ll assume you know how to do _that_ ,” he said, his tone light and playful.

“Mmm,” was Judah’s only response as he pulled up the locking latch, letting the heavy belt drop to the floor with a jangly _thud_.

“This,” Dorian said of the hook connected to another strap. Next he held out his wrists so that Judah could undo the buckles on his arm coverings. “These.”

“You and your buckles,” Judah teased back, undoing them. Freed at the wrist, he was able to slide each of them off to bare Dorian’s arms. Finally some success, but not nearly enough.

“Here,” Dorian pointed again, and slowly pieces of his armor fell away, discarded on the floor. He enjoyed watching Judah’s face as he did this, changing from irritation to satisfaction as he was incrementally exposed. Eventually all that was left on his upper body was a sleeveless, collared shirt. They were on equal footing now. “My turn,” he said, returning his own hands to Judah. Having already untucked the shirt, it was a simple matter to draw it over his head. Dorian liked what he saw: a sprinkling of black chest hair that darkened into a line below the navel and descended into Judah’s pants, the pleasant curves of a well-toned body honed by years of martial training and practice.

Sensing that he was waiting for him to continue, Judah tugged Dorian’s shirt out of his pants, over his head, and dropped it on the floor. The tantalizing bit of skin normally revealed by his armor had not fully prepared Judah for how robust the mage was, and he was pleased. The shade of gold that was Dorian’s amulet contrasted nicely with the color of his skin as it hung against the black, wispy hair that dusted his chest, thickening as it went lower until it disappeared beneath the rim of his pants.

Now for the truly annoying part: boots. Judah nudged the toe of one boot against Dorian’s as if to remind the other man of their existence. Without preamble, he knelt and began undoing yet more buckles, knowing that Dorian’s boots were less irksome than his own were going to be. He helped him to step out of them and was done.

With a sigh of resignation, Dorian knelt and began working at the laces of Judah’s boots. “Next time I’ll bring a dagger,” he announced, hearing the amused response as he unlaced and pried them apart, hoping that he wouldn’t have to undo them _all_. At last he was done and pulled them off, rising to look Judah in the face again.

Judah’s blood quickened with desire as he looked at the man standing before him. He moved a hand to his waist and then slowly went up his chest, savoring the feel of the hair against his skin. As the amulet slid over the back of his hand, the chain snaked between his fingers and he paused to consider. “On, or off?”

Knowing its importance to him, Dorian liked that he thought to ask. Even though he didn’t normally wear it while sleeping or doing related activities, he chose to take the decision out of his hands and replied, “You got it back for me. You decide,” with a slight smile, wondering what Judah would do.

While he didn’t know whether Dorian typically slept with it on, Judah thought that its presence on this particular occasion might be inconvenient. There was his decision. He drew the amulet over Dorian’s head, aimed carefully for the soft pile of the other man’s shirt and let it slip out of his fingers.

Dorian draped his arms around Judah’s waist as he asked, “Is that it? Are there any other obstacles?”

“Well…” was Judah’s reply, looking down between them. Each man was still wearing his pants, now beginning to be uncomfortably confining as their arousal increased.

With a laugh and a grin, Dorian brought his hands forward to undo Judah’s belt, tugging on it playfully as he did so. Smallclothes were beyond these, and once they were loosened he grasped Judah’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss with one hand, moving the other behind to slip inside and bring them closer together as he took hold of a single cheek, leaving a finger to rest gently against the space between.

One arm wrapped around Dorian’s back, Judah slid the hand of the other up the nape of his neck and into his hair, deepening the kiss. He made a sound of pleasure into Dorian’s mouth as he felt the hand gently stroke down to grab him and began to kiss with more eagerness.

Standing groin-to-groin, Dorian felt Judah’s hardness against him and a warm flush as his body responded to it. More. He wanted more and knew that Judah did as well. Breaking the kiss, he kept his forehead against Judah’s as they caught their breath.

“This is… really nice,” Judah breathed out.

Dorian sensed there was something more, not being used to sexual partners who were as emotionally effusive as Judah. After another kiss, he asked, “But?”

“No ‘buts.’ It just is.”

“We’re just getting started,” Dorian said, then separated and added, “Come along,” as he hooked his fingers into the rim of Judah’s loosened pants and began to walk backward toward the bed, pulling the other man along with him. He kicked something as he slowly retreated.

“Watch the floor,” Judah cautioned.

Dorian looked and saw the scattered pieces of his armor and Judah’s clothing. “My, what a mess.”

Arriving at the bed, Dorian looked at Judah as he slipped both hands inside his clothing at the hips. Moving down the pants and smallclothes together, he made a small, pleased “oh” when the whole of Judah’s body was revealed.

Judah kicked his pants away and turned his attention to Dorian. One small, final buckle. This was all that separated their bodies and he smiled in wry amusement to see it. After undoing the pants’ buckle and unlacing the smallclothes beneath, he moved his hands to Dorian’s waist and slowly pushed them both down.

If he somehow thought that this wasn’t quite real, that the man he called a friend, and yet wanted as _more_ than a friend, didn’t also want him in a similar way, the thought was dispelled as Dorian stood bared before him.

It seemed a significant step was now before them. With a smile, Judah gave a soft kiss, as if bidding farewell to one phase of their friendship before moving onto another. He lay down in the middle of the bed, extended his hand toward Dorian and waited for his friend to join him.

Accepting the invitation, Dorian took the proffered hand and settled over Judah so that the full lengths of their bodies were pressed together. Judah gave a shudder of pleasure and Dorian felt it pass through himself, making a sound that was somewhere between a contented sigh and a pleasured moan. Some of his want was finally achieved—the smaller, less important portion; the fate of the rest remained to be seen—this man, a friend he was beginning to care for, naked beneath him, and it felt _so good_. Taking a moment to savor it, Dorian lowered his head to rest on Judah’s chest, imparted a single kiss and breathed deeply. A part of his brain seemed to register that he had a pleasant scent, the clean smell of freshly washed linen. Judah began to rub his back and he thought it a comforting gesture; it was nice, and perfectly representative of the other man’s personality.

A thought occurred to him and he raised his head to look at Judah. “Have you… done this before?” he asked, almost adding, “with a man,” but opted to refrain. In a way, he assumed the addendum was implied, and yet he wasn’t quite sure; he’d never seen Judah profess an interest in women, or indeed any men, or any _one_ , other than himself. He found Judah confident and eager, as he was with most things he did, but considering his former reticence, couldn’t tell exactly how experienced he was.

Understanding what Dorian was asking, unstated addition included, Judah felt annoyance with himself for being so opaque about the whole matter. “Yes, but… not in a long time, and not…” he started to reply with some hesitation, but paused on realizing that he needed to be more clear. He took a deep breath and stated, “I’ve never been on the bottom before.”

While Dorian had no real reaction, neither a look of surprise nor of expectance, he did appear as if he were going to say something. Judah preempted him with, “But,” traced the line of Dorian’s jaw and added, “I want you to.”

Despite the expression of neutrality, Dorian _had_ been surprised. More than that he was also made unsure by Judah’s declaration and had been about to ask the other man what he wanted to do. He didn’t mind either way, having taken the lead because that is what he’d perceived Judah wanted. Judah’s addition, and the manner in which he said it, offered reassurance and Dorian smiled in return. He found it endearing that this was said factually, without embarrassment. They were lying together naked on a bed, both highly aroused, and Judah trusted him. But now he had to think about this in a different way. “All right. Well, we need something to—” he started.

“Right. Let me think. It’s—” Judah interrupted himself with laughter, “really difficult to think right now.”

Dorian grinned in acknowledgement of the feeling.

Judah put a hand against his forehead as he thought, almost as if he were coaxing his brain into further action. His mind raced through the various items in his quarters as he said, “Uh…” and then a sudden, “Oh!” He extricated himself and went over to the washstand to hunt for something.

Dorian examined him appreciatively as he walked away. He really did have a glorious body and he was happy that he’d finally gotten the other man out of his Skyhold trappings to see it.

Successful in his quest, Judah returned and tossed the item to Dorian saying, “Will that do?”

Holding the vial up to the light in examination, Dorian saw that it was elfroot oil; no doubt Judah used it to treat various injuries or soothe muscle aches after a bout of rigorous training. He mused that next time they would need something more specific to the task. An unwanted thought intruded on his mind then: _there might not_ be _a next time_. He snuffed out the spark before it could kindle into flame and turned his full attention to the man before him. “Perfect,” he said. And because he couldn’t quite help himself, he added, “Elfroot, hm? At least we don’t have to _drink_ this.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Judah said, returning to his place on the bed.

Rather than lie over him again, Dorian kept his new place as he knelt on the bed beside him. “One more question.”

“You can ask me anything you want.”

“Anything? Careful with that,” Dorian said, then began to run his hand along Judah’s chest. “Tell me, have you pleasured yourself in this way?”

“Occasionally, over the years,” Judah answered. At this point, he saw no reason to be vague. “It’s usually more convenient to just jerk off.”

Dorian grinned. “I see. Well, it’s also more ‘convenient’ if someone else does it. More fun that way, too.” After saying so, he removed the stopper from the vial, placed a few drops on his hand, then resealed it and set it aside. With this single hand, he rubbed his fingers together in a grasping motion to spread the oil around.

Judah watched Dorian’s fingers as they became slick and shiny. Somehow, that simple motion was more arousing than anything they had done before.

After a single glance at Judah’s face that showed his friend to be ready, Dorian turned to his task. He wrapped his fingers around Judah’s erection, giving just a few strokes to stoke his pleasure before moving on.

It had been a long time since Judah felt this sort of intimate touch by another. Dorian’s grip was warm and gentle, yet firm enough to make the skin slide along; it was perfect. The feeling this brought was almost unexpected, familiar, yet new at the same time. His head tilted back as he released a sigh that turned into a moan.

“Relax,” Dorian said, voice low and soft as he moved his hand lower. It would not do for Judah to get too excited, too quickly.

“Mm-hmm,” was the only response.

Dorian moved lower and was gratified when Judah bent his legs, opening up in anticipation. He closed his palm around the testicles, gave the most gentle of caresses, rubbed at the space between, and moved lower still. The smooth skin beyond got his attention as well, but it was merely a guide to his final destination. Once there, he rubbed the opening with the full length of his finger.

Eyes closed, Judah breathed deeply in his pleasure as he waited for even greater sensation. Dorian was watching. On seeing an inhalation, he slowly eased his finger inside. After a few more breaths, he began to move in and out.

Judah released an “Mmm” through his nose as he felt it, a pleasant interior pressure. After several seconds of this, he came back to himself as he got used to the slow, steady movement. His head felt clear again, but only just. “Where’s the elfroot?” he asked.

Dorian paused in his action to look over the bed. Now near a pillow, it was easy to miss, but a glint caught his eye. He handed the vial over and resumed his work.

As he made ready his own slick hand, Judah felt Dorian add an additional finger and had to pause to breathe and concentrate. “Don’t be distracting, now. Or get distracted…”

Knowing Judah’s intention, Dorian laughed. “We’ll see.”

At the words, Judah smiled as he closed his fingers around Dorian’s erection at his side. It was firm and warm, and he enjoyed the idea of giving his friend pleasure in this way. He began to slowly stroke in time with Dorian’s own movements inside him.

Dorian’s breathing quickened. While focused on Judah, it was easy to put his own arousal aside, but he found that it flared back to full force at the other man’s touch. He took a shuddering breath as he tried to steady himself. “Well, now you’ve done it,” he said, lowering himself over Judah to kiss once more.

Judah smiled into the kiss, but it quickly faded as he became lost in the sensation of lips and tongues and breath and skin and fingers. His free hand closed around the bed sheet as the kiss went on.

With his free hand near Judah’s head, Dorian petted the fuzz of his hair with his thumb as he leaned over him. It seemed the heat was building in his groin as the other man stroked him. With every upward motion, Judah’s thumb caressed the tip, giving immense pleasure. He knew he would come from this alone if they continued long enough.

After what seemed an eternity of this mutual pleasuring, both men began to moan into the kiss. Dorian separated and said, “Can’t think.”

Judah smiled. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

Dorian had a calming breath, laughed, and said, “Not just now.” He withdrew his fingers and studied Judah a moment. “Ready?”

“Mm-hmm.”

They were _both_ ready. At the simple confirmation, Dorian moved to settle between Judah’s legs. He positioned himself carefully and began to slowly ease himself inside.

Judah grasped the sheet as Dorian entered. This was more than fingers, more than anything he had ever felt. He moaned as the other man filled him completely.

For this, it had also been a long time for Dorian and he had nearly forgotten the raw, intense pleasure of being completely surrounded. He rubbed Judah’s chest and stomach as he waited for the other man to get used to the sensation. After a few moments of breathing, he began to slowly move in and out. His hand found Judah’s erection again and he began to stroke in a smooth, deliberate motion.

That intense feeling of being filled happened again and again as Dorian moved against him. On feeling Dorian’s hand, Judah began to moan with each breath. His entire lower half seemed consumed by pleasure and he didn’t know which was the greater.

Giving into his own pleasure, Dorian moved his hands away from Judah’s body, to his legs, shifting them farther apart. He felt himself go deeper, moved a bit faster, and released a moan of his own. His eyes fell closed, his head titled back, he bit his lip as he focused on the feeling.

When Dorian moved his hand away, Judah sought to continue himself. Just as he felt his own fingers, he realized that the thing he wanted to feel most was Dorian moving inside him and he wanted it to _last_ ; he would come too early if he continued to stroke himself. In deciding this, his eyes fell on Dorian’s face just as his friend bit his lip in pleasure. The sudden need to kiss those very lips was overwhelming.

“Dorian,” Judah called, in an attempt to break the man out of his trance.

Hearing his name snapped Dorian back into awareness and he looked to find Judah’s hand extended, beckoning him near.

“Come here.”

Without hesitation, Dorian did as asked. His lips met Judah’s as he felt the man’s hand slide from his neck into his hair. Mouths opened immediately and they were as physically connected as two people could possibly be.

Judah’s feet left the surface of the bed as Dorian began to rock against him. He wrapped one leg high around him as his toes curled in pleasure. His fingers curled in Dorian’s hair, while the other arm was against his back, holding him close.

After a few moments, Dorian broke the kiss to nestle his face against Judah’s neck. One hand held his shoulder, while the other grasped the sheet near his head. After a time, pain began to intrude on his pleasure, pain in his scalp as Judah gripped his hair tighter. Liking what it meant for Judah’s pleasure, he tried to ignore it, but it proved to be too much of a distraction. He slowed his movement and eventually stopped, raising himself up on an elbow to look at his friend’s face.

The man beneath him was flushed, making his swarthy features stand out even more. While not a word he would normally ascribe to Judah, he thought him beautiful in the moment and wondered if he looked similar in his passion to the other man’s eyes. Dorian took hold of the wrist near the clutching hand, gently, but with insistent firmness, and drew it away. “Too tight,” he said.

Curious as to why Dorian stopped, Judah could only say, “Oh, sorry.”

“That’s quite all right,” Dorian replied, then smiled as he said, “I’ll take it as a good sign.” He laid the hand against the bed, lacing their fingers together as he lowered to kiss Judah once more. This was a soft, slow kiss, a prelude for what was to come. To the rhythm of the kiss, he slowly began to move against him once more, building back to the same heated beat they were at before he stopped.

A deep, pleasing ache began to swell inside Judah. He felt a hot flush move through his entire body. It all began to be too much: too much pressure, too much friction, too much heat. The knuckles on his grasping hand faded into whiteness as he gripped Dorian’s hand tighter. He broke the kiss as he began to moan with each deep thrust inside him as it seemed that Dorian was rocking against him with his entire body.

When his own sounds of pleasure were the only thing he could hear, when the pressure and friction and sweet ache were almost too much to bear, Judah climaxed in what was the greatest sense of euphoria he had ever known. Everything clenched around Dorian, his hand gripped tighter, his leg gripped harder, his stomach muscles contracted and he curled into the other man.

But Dorian was not there yet himself.

On feeling Judah orgasm beneath him, Dorian’s mind became barren of all else as he allowed himself to be overtaken by his own pleasure. He moaned against Judah’s shoulder as each thrust brought him closer and closer. One, then another, and a final deep thrust had him come with a groan, frozen as the feeling seemed to last forever, and yet not long enough.

They relaxed against each other. Their gripping hands, while no longer clutching, remained intertwined as they lay together. Both men struggled to catch their breath as they came down.

Judah hugged Dorian to him, caressing the hairs on the nape of his neck.

Still inside him, Dorian was distantly aware of the fingers in his hair, soft, soothing fingers. He breathed against him, not wanting to give up the moment, not just yet. But he knew he must. After a final breath of determination, he separated.

Propping himself up on his elbows, Dorian remained hovering over Judah as he asked, “Are you all right?”

Right at that moment all Judah could manage to think was, _Wow…_ Realizing that Dorian had asked him a question, he laughed faintly at himself and smiled in satisfaction as he said, “I feel great.”

Dorian smiled. “Good,” he said, then kissed him lightly and lay down on the bed beside him for a brief rest. He stared at the ceiling, waiting for his excitement to subside, for the fresh memory of the experience to fade a bit so that he could return to normal. Looking at Judah, he saw that his eyes were closed, not asleep, but enjoying the peace of the moment. A single thought burned in his mind: _what happens now?_

With a sigh, he gave Judah’s forearm a squeeze and got up. He walked over to the washstand, wet a cloth and wiped himself down. On noticing that Judah was watching him, he wet another cloth. “Here,” he said, tossing it over.

Without looking to see if he caught it, Dorian walked a bit away to look out one of the latticed windows. The mountains surrounding Skyhold looked cold and isolated, and he was glad to be inside where it was warm with pleasant company. “I like your quarters.”

Judah _had_ caught the cloth, used it, and returned it to the washstand while Dorian gazed at the terrain beyond. Going back to the bed, he found it was still warm with their body heat. “Do you now?”

Dorian could hear the smile at the edge of the statement. Turning around and walking back to the bed, he teased, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not suggesting we venture into mutual domesticity. I just like your appointments.”

“Ah.” Judah spared a momentary thought to wonder what it would be like if they _did_ “venture into mutual domesticity,” found the idea agreeable, and supposed that he was still being influenced by the pleasure of what they had done.

“Not that I couldn’t suggest some changes. Your taste is a little… austere,” Dorian said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

The words were light, but Judah had the feeling there was something more, the remarks seemed misplaced. “You seem a little… distracted.”

Dorian offered a playful smile. “Sex will do that. It’s distracting.”

Judah smiled in return. “I heard a rumor.”

“Very well, you’ve rooted me out. There is something I want.”

Judah saw Dorian’s face change and wondered at it; he looked apprehensive.

“I’m curious where this goes, you and I. We’ve had fun. Perfectly reasonable to leave it here, get on with the business of killing Archdemons and such…”

This was _not_ what Judah had expected. This encounter seemed like a natural progression from all the experiences he’d had with Dorian since meeting him, bizarre time travel notwithstanding. They had been dancing around each other for some time and Judah enjoyed their flirty friendship. When Dorian kissed him that first time there had been something else, a thrill down his spine that had stunned him into inaction. Then there had been that pissant merchant with Dorian’s amulet; he still remembered Dorian’s remarks: “He’s not my friend. He’s… never mind what he is,” and his concern over what people thought about “us.” Dorian clearly thought there could be—was?—something more.

In fact, Judah had thought that they were finally on the same page regarding whatever “this” was, but was now concerned that he’d been wrong, either in his reading of Dorian, or in his perception of what Dorian was able to read _in him_. The time for perception, suggestion, and assumption was over and he saw that directness was now required. He swung his leg over to sit on the bed beside him and said, “Tell me what _you_ want.”

“All on me, then?”

“Should it be all on me?”

Dorian sighed. “I like you. More than I should. _More_ than might be wise. We end it here, I walk away. I won’t be _pleased_ , but I’d rather _now_ than later. _Later_ might be dangerous.”

Judah thought he understood but wanted to hear Dorian say it. “Why dangerous?”

“Walking away… might be harder then,” Dorian said, looking pained.

Judah was confused. Had he really been so vague that Dorian didn’t know what he wanted after all this time? The things he had said, the things he had done, most with deliberate intention, while still—he hoped—allowing Dorian the space and time to form his own opinion and feelings regarding the budding romance they appeared to have.

He had finally asked of Dorian what he wanted in the most direct manner possible. While the answer hadn’t been as direct, the words he did say, the manner in which he said them, the expression on his face, left no room for doubt as to what _Dorian_ wanted. Now it was his turn, wasn’t it? “I want more than just fun, Dorian.”

Hearing this, Dorian looked away, as if he didn’t know what to do with the response. Dorian Pavus with no words. What _was_ the world coming to?

“Speechless I see,” Judah said.

“I was… expecting something different. Where I come from, anything between two men… it’s about _pleasure_. It’s accepted, but taken no further. You learn not to hope for more. You’d be foolish to.”

And suddenly everything fell into place and Judah understood why Dorian had left the decision up to _him_ even though he wanted more. “You still feel that way?”

“I’m beginning to learn otherwise,” Dorian said, the pain melting away from his face. Then his voice changed, higher, a return to playfulness. “Care to… inquisit me again? I’ll be more specific in my directions this time.”

Judah laughed and said, “Show off,” thinking he’d been pretty specific the first time.

Turning to Judah, Dorian slipped a hand around his waist and coaxed him back onto the bed again. Leaning over, he looked at him with the most genuine, happiest smile Judah had ever seen on his friend’s face; it lit up his eyes and softened his features and he thrilled to see it.

 

 

End.


End file.
